Cabinet approves India’s position at Kigali climate conference

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the negotiating position adopted by India at the 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, held last month at Kigali in Rwanda.

The Montreal Protocol, which entered force in January 1989, aims to phase out the ozone depleting substances (ODS).

At Kigali, it was aimed to include Hydrofluoro Carbons (HFCs) in the list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol in order to regulate their production, consumption and with time phase them out using funds under Montreal Protocol.

The HFCs however are not the ODS but global warming substance and controlling it can limiting the global temperature rise.

“It was agreed at Kigali that there would be two set of baselines or peak years for developing countries and India will have baseline years of 2024, 2025, 2026,” said a statement.

It further said this decision gives additional HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) allowance of 65 per cent that will be added to the Indian baseline consumption and production.

Under Montreal Protocol, all countries are assigned a baseline year and a freeze year.

Baseline year is a three year period in which consumption and production of harmful gases like HFCs and HCFCs are analysed and the reduction of the same is assigned based on the amount.

The freeze year is the period when the use of those chemicals must go below what they were during the baseline years.

HCFC used as refrigerant has lower ozone depleting potential but high global warming potential. It was intriduced as an alternative to CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) in 1990.

“The freeze year for India will be 2028, with a condition that there will be a technology review in 2024 or 2025 and, if the growth in the sectors using refrigerants is above certain agreed threshold, India can defer its freeze up to 2030,” an official statement said.

Developed countries will reduce production and consumption of HFCs by 70 per cent in 2029.

As per the decisions taken in Kigali, India will complete its phase down in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10 per cent in 2032, 20 per cent in 2037, 30 per cent in 2042 and 85 per cent in 2047.